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Caterham's Superlight R600 To Star In New Racing Series

Caterham is best known for its continuation versions of the iconic Lotus Seven roadster, available in everything from road-going to full-race versions. While all are fast thanks to their light weight (1,133 pounds for a Superlight R300), Caterham has just announced a car it’s calling the fastest Caterham Seven race car to date.

The Superlight R600 comes powered by a supercharged 2.0-liter Ford Duratec engine, good for some 275 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. Power goes to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox, and a Titan limited-slip differential ensures optimal traction from the Avon racing slicks.

Since building a track car without a dedicated racing series is a bit pointless, the Superlight R600 will star in the 2013 Superlight R600 Championship, which gives drivers the ability to compete in a faster series than the current range-topping (and very successful) R300 Championship.

Caterham is expecting a minimum of 16 Superlight R600 cars racing in 2013, with 30 anticipated on the grid in 2014. Customers in the U.K. without cars can purchase a new Caterham Superlight R600 for £44,995 ($72,478), while those with R300 can have their cars upgraded for a yet-to-be-specified price.

Sadly, those of us on this side of the pond need not apply. The R600 Championship, like the R300 Championship, is U.K.-based with events at Donington Park, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Snetterton and Rockingham. Its sole excursion off British soil is a single event staged at Germany’s Nürburgring.